Professional Drone Pilot Certificate Course (102)

The Part 102 Drone Pilot Certificate is the qualification organisations ask for when you fly for them outside the standard Part 101 rules. It's also the first course on the agricultural pilot pathway. It includes all the Part 101 content, so you don't need to do the Drone Pilot Certificate Course (101) first.

The certificate proves you've done the training and passed the flight test. On its own, it gives you the same legal privilege as Part 101: flying within 4 km of an aerodrome. Work like flying over people, flying a drone over 25 kg, agricultural spraying or flying beyond visual line of sight becomes possible once you're flying under an organisation's operator certificate (UAOC).

What you'll learn

• NZ airspace rules and charts, and how to work out your drone's legal height limits
• Controlled and uncontrolled airspace, and what each means for your flight
• Logging flights and checking local council rules on Airshare
• Finding air traffic control contacts before you fly
• Planning and documenting a Part 102 flight, including NOTAMs and airspace supplements
• Basic meteorology and GPS for flight planning
• Flying in ATTI mode if you lose GPS

Fees: $1,295 excl GST. Includes the online theory, two online exams (80% pass mark, resits allowed), one flight assessment and your digital certificate.

Duration: Most people finish the theory in 2-3 weeks. You have 12 months from purchase to complete everything, including the flight test.

Delivery: Theory online and self-paced. Flight assessment in person with one of our 22 examiners across 16 cities.

Buy online: dronetrust.co.nz/products/part-102-pilot-certificate-course

No prior qualification needed. You need to be at least 16.

For the flight test you'll need a drone that can be switched manually to ATTI or Rate mode.

DroneTrust is a CAA Part 141 certificated aviation training organisation (TR104722). We've been training drone pilots in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and the United States since 2018.

The theory for our certificate courses is online and self-paced, so you can start the day you enrol and study around work. This makes it a convenient, affordable exercise, and throughout that time, you can be confident we are here to support you and help you achieve your desired outcome. Each certificate then finishes with a practical flight assessment in person, with one of our 22 examiners from Northland to Southland. Before you meet, your examiner is told how your exam went and which areas you found harder.

Our courses run from the Part 101 and Part 102 Drone Pilot Certificates through to specialist ratings for agricultural spraying, chemical handling, night flying and building cleaning. We also help organisations write the exposition they need to apply to the CAA for their own operator certificate (UAOC).

You can buy any of our courses online at dronetrust.co.nz and start straight away. Not sure which one you need? Send us an enquiry and we'll help you work out your pathway.